Unlimited data eSIM plans — pay by the day

An unlimited eSIM gives you as much data as you need for a set number of days. Speed may be reduced after heavy daily use, so it suits short trips where you stream, work online or share your connection. Spidot sells unlimited data plans for 36 countries.

How unlimited data works

Choose your destination and the number of days you need.
Install the eSIM from the QR code we email you, before you fly.
Use as much data as you need. Speed may slow after heavy use.

Which plan type fits your trip?

PLAN TYPE	WHAT YOU GET	GOOD FOR	WHERE
Fixed data	A set amount of data for a set number of days	One trip with known dates	160 countries and Europe
Unlimited	Unlimited data by the day; speed may slow after heavy use	Heavy use for a few days	36 countries
No-expiry	Data that stays until you use it	Several trips a year	Not available yet
Data + calls	Data with call minutes and SMS	Trips where you need to call	Not available yet

Questions about unlimited data

Is it really unlimited?

There is no data cap, but speed may slow after heavy daily use.

Unlimited or fixed data?

Unlimited suits heavy use for a few days. For a longer trip with moderate use, a fixed data plan usually costs less.

Where does it work?

Unlimited plans are available for 36 countries.

Will I notice when my speed is reduced?

You may notice video buffering or dropping to lower quality, and pages loading more slowly. Messages, maps and basic browsing usually remain usable at a reduced speed.

Can I stream video on an unlimited plan?

Yes. Streaming is one of the main reasons to choose unlimited. Long sessions in high definition are among the heaviest uses, so lowering the quality on mobile data helps keep speed up for the rest of the day.

Is unlimited a good choice for remote work?

It can be, particularly for short trips where mobile data is your main connection. For long stays, compare the cost with a large fixed data plan, and use Wi-Fi for big uploads and downloads where you can.

Do I still need to check my balance?

There is no data cap to watch, but it is worth checking the days left in My eSIMs so the plan does not end before you expect it to.

Can I share my unlimited data with friends?

Most phones let you share mobile data through a personal hotspot. Heavy sharing counts towards your own daily use and makes a slow-down more likely, so it works best for occasional use.

What if I only need heavy data for a few days of a longer trip?

Estimate your total use for the whole trip, including the heavy days, and compare a fixed data plan of that size with an unlimited plan for the full length of your stay. For many trips, a fixed plan with a top-up if needed works out simpler and cheaper.

A practical guide to unlimited data eSIM plans

Updated 7 October 2026

An unlimited plan turns mobile data into a daily cost rather than a running total. You choose how many days you need, install the eSIM before you travel and then use your phone without watching a data counter. Unlimited plans start from $4.90.

Unlimited does not mean unlimited at full speed all day, every day. This guide explains in plain terms how fair use and slow-downs generally work, who gets the most out of an unlimited plan, when a fixed data plan is the better buy, and how to set your phone up so the plan works the way you expect.

How an unlimited plan works

With an unlimited plan you pay for a number of days rather than an amount of data. During those days there is no data cap: mobile data does not stop because you have used a certain number of gigabytes. When the days are over, the plan ends.

The number of days on each plan is shown before you buy, and you can see the days left on your eSIM in My eSIMs. If you want to know exactly how the days are counted for a particular plan, read the plan details before you buy.

Like the other Spidot plans, an unlimited plan is data only. There is no local phone number, call minutes or SMS. Your own SIM stays in your phone for calls and texts on your usual number, and messaging and calling apps work over the Spidot data.

Fair use and slow-downs, explained

Almost every unlimited mobile plan, at home or abroad, has some form of fair use policy. Mobile networks are shared, so plans that let every user transfer unlimited amounts at top speed all the time would slow things down for everyone. Instead, unlimited plans usually allow a generous amount of high-speed use and then reduce speed for the heaviest users.

For Spidot unlimited plans, the speed may slow after heavy daily use. In practice, that means a normal day of maps, messages, browsing, social media and some video is unlikely to feel any different from a fixed data plan, while a day of long high-definition streaming, large downloads or a laptop tethered for hours is more likely to hit a slower speed.

What a slower speed is still good for

Reduced speed is not the same as no data. At a slower speed, messages, email, maps and basic browsing typically still work, though pages and images load more slowly. Video calls and streaming are what suffer most: they may drop to lower quality or pause to buffer. Large downloads take much longer.

How to stay on the fast side

If speed matters to you on a particular day, for example before an important video call, do your heavy downloading on Wi-Fi beforehand and lower the streaming quality in apps you use on mobile data. Spreading heavy use across several days, rather than doing it all at once, also helps.

Who unlimited data suits

Unlimited plans are built for heavy use over a few days. They tend to make sense if one or more of these apply to you:

You are on a short, intense trip and do not want to think about data at all.
You work remotely and rely on mobile data for video meetings, uploads or a tethered laptop.
You stream video, music or live sport while you travel, or post a lot of photos and video to social media.
Your accommodation has unreliable or no Wi-Fi, so your phone is your main internet connection.
You use navigation all day, for example on a road trip, and also use a lot of data for everything else.

When unlimited is not the best choice

Unlimited is convenient, but it is not automatically the best value. Because you pay for the freedom to use a lot of data, light and moderate users often pay more than they need to.

If you mostly use maps, messages and some browsing, and you have Wi-Fi where you stay, a fixed data plan of a sensible size is usually cheaper, especially over a longer trip. The same applies if you are travelling for several weeks with moderate daily use: paying by the day for a long period adds up, while a fixed plan lets you pay for roughly what you use.

A simple test: estimate your total data for the trip (see below), find a fixed plan that covers it with a margin, and compare the price with an unlimited plan for the same number of days on the prices page. If the fixed plan is clearly cheaper and you are comfortable topping up if needed, fixed is likely the better fit.

Estimating your daily usage

Even with an unlimited plan, it helps to know roughly how much data you use, because it tells you whether unlimited is worth it and how likely you are to notice a slow-down. The figures below are rough approximations only. Real usage varies with the app, the video quality, the network and your phone's settings.

Maps and navigation: often tens of megabytes per hour of active use.
Browsing and social media: roughly 50–200 MB per hour, more when feeds autoplay video.
Video calls: often several hundred megabytes per hour, and more in high quality or group calls.
Video streaming: from under 1 GB per hour at standard quality to several GB per hour in high definition.
A tethered laptop: highly variable; updates, cloud sync and video meetings can use several gigabytes in a day.

Rough examples

As a loose illustration: someone who spends a long weekend streaming an hour or two of video each evening, making video calls home and posting stories during the day could use several gigabytes a day. Over three or four days, that is the kind of pattern where unlimited tends to beat a fixed plan.

By contrast, a traveller on a two-week trip who uses maps, messages and some browsing might use well under 1 GB a day. For them, a fixed data plan is very likely to cost less. Your phone's own data usage history is the best guide: check how much you use in a typical day at home and adjust for the trip.

Choosing the number of days

Count every day you will need data, including the days you travel. Arrival and departure days are often the busiest: finding your way from the airport or station, checking in, ordering a taxi or messaging home.

If your trip falls between two options, the longer plan avoids losing data on your last day. If you only need heavy use for part of the trip, for example a few working days in the middle of a longer holiday, consider whether a fixed data plan for the whole trip would cover you, with a top-up if you run low.

Using your phone as a hotspot

Tethering a laptop or tablet is one of the main reasons people choose unlimited data, but it is also the quickest way to reach heavy daily use. Laptops download updates, sync cloud folders and load full-size pages, often without you noticing.

Some unlimited plans from providers around the world restrict or limit tethering, so read the details of the plan you are buying if hotspot use is important to you. Whatever the plan, these steps reduce the load:

Pause automatic operating system and app updates on the laptop while it is tethered.
Pause cloud backup and file sync, or limit them to the folders you need.
Mark the hotspot as a metered connection if your laptop supports it, so it holds back large background downloads.
Keep video meetings to standard quality unless high quality really matters.

Unlimited compared with the other plan types

Unlimited or fixed data

Fixed data gives you a set amount of data for a set number of days. It suits most trips with moderate use and is usually cheaper over longer periods. Unlimited suits short trips with heavy use, and removes the need to check your balance.

Unlimited or no-expiry

A no-expiry plan has no validity period: unused data stays on the eSIM for later. It suits people who travel often with light to moderate use. Unlimited is the opposite: it is about a short period of heavy use, and nothing carries over when the days end.

Unlimited or data + calls

A data + calls plan adds call minutes and SMS to mobile data. Choose it if you need to call or text without an app. If you only need data, unlimited or fixed data is simpler.

Unlimited eSIM compared with roaming and local SIMs

Home operators sometimes offer unlimited or large roaming allowances, and many people with EU SIM cards can use their home allowance across the EU under the "Roam like at Home" rules, often subject to their own fair use limits. These rules do not cover everyone, and many non-EU plans charge daily or per-megabyte fees abroad. Check what your own operator offers and compare it with a known up-front price for an eSIM.

A local SIM can be good value for long stays and comes with a local number, but you usually have to find a shop on arrival, may need to show identification and have to swap out your own SIM unless your phone has two slots. An unlimited eSIM can be installed at home, works as soon as you turn on data roaming for the Spidot line, and leaves your own SIM in place.

Setting up before you go and on arrival

Install the eSIM while you still have Wi-Fi at home. First check your phone: it needs to support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. Then follow the install guide for iPhone, Samsung or Pixel.

Keep your own SIM as the default for calls and texts and choose the Spidot line for mobile data. Leave data roaming off for your own SIM. When you arrive, turn on data roaming for the Spidot line; the data roaming guide shows where to find the setting.

Where unlimited plans are available

Unlimited plans are not offered for every destination. The list on this page shows where you can buy them today, and each destination page shows the plans available there, for example Germany, Greece or Portugal. For a trip across several countries, look at the Europe plan. You can browse everything on the destinations page.

Unlimited eSIM data by the day